The Inside Story Podcast

Little sign of peace in Ukraine - but trans-Atlantic diplomatic efforts to end the war are intensifying. Ukraine and its European allies are vying with Russia to sway US President Donald Trump in forging a deal. Can one be reached - or will the war go on?  In this episode:  Chris Weafer, Chief Executive Officer at Macro-Advisory, a strategic consultancy focused on Russia and the Eurasia region. Anatol Lieven - Director of the Eurasia Programme at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.  Michael Bociurkiw - Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Host: Imran Khan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Pakistan accused of air strikes killing civilians in Afghanistan. A day earlier, a suicide bomb in Pakistan killed three security personnel. Recent peace efforts and a temporary ceasefire have failed. What's driving the violence and what are the risks?  In this episode:  Obaidullah Baheer, Adjunct Lecturer, American University of Afghanistan. Sahar Khan, Security Analyst, South Asia.  Hameed Hakimi, Associate Fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House. Host: Imran Khan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

An Israeli air strike on Beirut kills Hezbollah's top military commander, its highest-level target during a ceasefire that came into force a year ago. There have been frequent Israeli breaches throughout.  But why this strike now, and what are the implications?  In this episode:  Joe Macaron, Geopolitical analyst specialising in US strategy in the Middle East Nadim Houry, Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative   Alon Pinkas, Former Israeli Ambassador and Consul General of Israel in New York Host: Imran Khan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Africa's first ever G20 summit - and the first boycotted by a member, the United States. Its host, South Africa hails it as a success with a declaration agreed across a wide range of issues. But what's next for the G20?  In this episode:  Thembisa Fakude, Director, Africa Asia Dialogues. Richard Weitz, Senior Non-Resident Associate Fellow, NATO Defense College.  Omar Ashour, Professor, Strategic Studies and International Security, Doha Institute.  Host: Imran Khan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Division at the COP30 climate change summit in Brazil - a more difficult message to tell to the world than progress. Scientists, politicians, media and business all have a huge role to play in keeping the public engaged. But are they succeeding?  In this episode:  Professor John Sweeney - one of Ireland's foremost climate scientists and contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC’s Nobel Peace Prize. Professor Allam Ahmed - a leading scholar in sustainable development and the knowledge economy. Michael Shank - a climate communication expert and a former Director of Media Strategy at Climate Nexus. Host: Neave Barker Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

The Trump administration has crafted a controversial 28-point peace framework with Russia to end the Ukraine war. The plan demands some painful concessions: surrendering the Donbas region and slashing Ukraine's military by half to name just a few. So, is Washington negotiating Ukraine's future to favour Russia - just to promise a lasting peace? In this episode:  Alexander Bratersky - Political analyst and and an independent journalist. Samir Puri - Chatham House's Director for the Global Governance and Security Centre, and author of Russia's Road to War with Ukraine Donald Jensen - Former US diplomat in Moscow and former U.S. staffer on U.S.-Soviet arms-control negotiations. Host: Neave Barker Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Annual military spending is rising globally at its steepest level since the Cold War. And after a break of more than 30 years, the US says it might restart testing nuclear weapons. So if the global arms race is back on - who's winning and what's the true cost of escalation? In this episode:  Michael Boyle - Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University–Camden, and author of The Drone Age. Elijah Magnier - senior political risk analyst, and an regional military expert Fabrice Pothier - former Head of Policy Planning at NATO, as well as a senior defence and strategy analyst. Host: Neave Barker Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

The World Food Programme is warning more than 300 million people face critical levels of hunger next year. The United Nations body says that's double the number compared to 2019. What's behind this worsening crisis that's putting so many people in danger?  In this episode:  Jean-Martin Bauer, Director, Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service, United Nations World Food Programme. Shahin Ashraf, Head, Global Advocacy, Islamic Relief Worldwide. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam's Country Director, Democratic Republic of Congo. Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan wins UN Security Council backing. A mixed reaction from Palestinians: the Palestinian Authority welcomes the resolution, but Hamas rejects it along with plans for an international stabilisation force. So, what's next?  In this episode:  Rami Khouri, Distinguished Fellow, American University of Beirut. Ahmed Najar, Political Analyst and Writer.  Mehmet Celik, Editorial Co-ordinator, Daily Sabah.  Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death for ordering the crackdown on last year's student-led uprising. 1,400 people were killed. But Hasina is in exile in India. So what are the chances she'll face justice back home? In this episode:  Sohela Nazneen, Professor, International Relations, University of Dhaka. Sreeradha Datta, Professor, OP Jindal Global University.  Taqbir Huda, Human Rights Lawyer and Clarendon Scholar, University of Oxford.  Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

South Africa is investigating how 153 Palestinians from Gaza arrived without proper documentation. It's raised fears: Was the chartered flight organised by Israeli-backed human trafficking networks? And is this part of a wider strategy of ethnic cleansing? In this episode:  Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder and Chairman, Gift of the Givers. Ori Goldberg, Israeli Political Commentator. William Schabas, Professor, International Law, Middlesex University. Host: Nick Clark Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

It's one of the biggest betting scandals in sporting history.Turkish football is facing a gambling crackdown that's seen hundreds of players and officials suspended.It's shone a spotlight on a growing global gambling industry... and how it's affecting players, fans and the game itself. So - is sports betting out of control?  In this episode:  Ali Emre Dedeoglu - a sports commentator. Tancredi Palmeri - International sports analyst. Jamie Allen - a football journalist and writer. Host: Nick Clark Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is confronting his most serious political test since Russia’s invasion. Elected in 2019 on a promise to root out corruption, he now finds himself entangled in a $100 million scandal involving government officials, ministers and businessmen accused of arranging kickbacks through the state nuclear energy company. In a country at war, what does this mean for public morale — and how are Ukraine’s donors in the EU and beyond reacting? In this episode:  Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative  Olena Tregub, Secretary General of Ukraine’s Independent Defence Anti-Corruption Commission Ben Aris, Political & Security Analyst for eastern Europe Host: Mohammed Jamjoom Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Iran's capital is facing its worst drought in recorded history. The President warns the only option may be to evacuate Tehran. Some commentators call that idea 'a joke'. But water cuts have begun - and no rain is expected. How did things get this bad? And how many of the world's cities face a similar fate? In this episode:  Peter Newman - a Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University. Marcus D King - director of the Masters program for Environment and International Affairs at Georgetown University. Allam Ahmad - President of the World Association of Sustainable Development. Host: Bernard Smith Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Ukraine's President says Moscow is testing Europe's red lines. Unidentified drones are being spotted at some of the busiest airports and military sites in the EU. That's as the bloc pours billions of dollars into its defences. So, are Europe and Russia close to a confrontation? And is either side ready for conflict? In this episode:  Stefan Wolff - Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham. Alexander Bratersky - Independent journalist, and former reporter for the Moscow Times and Defence News. Alexandre Vautravers - Associate Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook